Life As Allie Southwick
by tylerr11
Summary: Allie Southwick starts her 6th year at Hogwarts with best friends Scorpius Malfoy, Ryan Parker and Keith Owen and encounters Death Eaters and things that she didn't think would have ever happened to her. Rated M for language, sexual situations (soon! haha), upcoming violence, etc
1. Chapter 1

~Chapter 1~

"Southwick, Allie."

I took a deep breath as I turned toward the small wooden stool that sat at the front of the Great Hall, glancing over at my cousin, Ryan. He had just gotten sorted and was now seated at the Slytherin table, sitting next a blonde boy. My mum had been in Ravenclaw and my dad was in Gryffindor. If I get sorted into Slytherin with Ryan… Geez. I hope they wouldn't disinherit me.

Bloody hell. Bloody hell.

I walked toward Professor McGonagall and the old, worn, Sorting Hat. I looked back over at the Slytherin table and made eye contact with Ryan, who grinned and gave and gave me a thumbs up. I made a face at him.

McGonagall pointed at the wooden stool in front of me as I sat down and placed the Sorting Hat on my head. It nearly surpassed my eyebrows. I'm pretty sure I looked like I was going to throw up. I felt like it, too.

"Hmm…" said a small voice in my ear, "Where to put you… Certain disregard for the rules- not a bad mind either…"

I gripped the edges of the stool with my sweaty hands. _Bloody hell._

"Better be…. SLYTHERIN!"

The Great Hall broke out in applause, just like they did for every other first year, as I hopped off the stool and stumbled down the steps to the Slytherin table to my right.

Ryan was waiting with a joyful look on his face. "This is going to be brilliant, Al!"

I stuck my tongue out at him, punching him in the arm.

"Oi- watch it!"

"Don't call me 'Al' then." I replied.

I wish he would call me something else. Anything but Al.

I sat down next to him and loosened my tie, swinging my legs around over the bench. Ties were _so_ constricting.

The blonde boy looked at me. I raised my eyebrows at him. "Hey."

"Scorpius Malfoy." He said, holding a hand out to shake mine- what are we? Adults?

"I'm Allie Southwick. This _prat_…" I said, gesturing at Ryan, (who elbowed me), "Is my cousin."

Scorpius grinned at me. "Right."

"I hope we eat soon." Ryan said loudly over our conversation.

I exhaled. "Me too."

I really was INCREDIBLY hungry. The chocolate frogs on the train earlier seemed like days ago.

"Zimmerman, Lucy!"

A girl I recognized from the train with long red hair walked up and the hat was placed on her head.

A few seconds later, the Sorting Hat opened it's mouth (what mouth?), and shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The old looking wizard at the huge table in front, stood up. "Good evening and welcome to another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To all those who do not know me, I am Professor Larrus Cassidy, headmaster. And I'm sure you are all very hungry… So! Let us eat!"

I swear he was looking straight at me and Ry. Scary.

"Hear, hear!" Ryan said loudly as food disappeared on the tables out of thin air.

"Finally." Scorpius said as he shoveled mashed potatoes and chicken onto his plate. "You gonna try out for the house Quidditch team?"

"Cab whe pla?" Ryan said with his mouth full of bean stew.

"What?"

He swallowed. "Can we play? I thought first years weren't allowed."

"I hope so." I said, taking a sip of pumpkin juice from the silver goblet in front of me.

"You play?" Scorpius asked me, with a confused look on his face.

"Of course I do." I replied, grinning.

"She's a bloody good keeper." Ryan added.

My dad played when he went to Hogwarts and then went and became a beater for the Pride of Portree. Holidays were spent flying around the countryside, beating the crap out of each other. Ryan's family would always come and join in- it was all in good fun, even though I was always the one breaking something.

"Of course I am." I replied, smiling cockily at him.

"Her dad played for the Pride of Portree." Ryan added.

"Blimey! Really?" Scorpius's eyes were nearly bulging out of his head. It was quite funny.

"Yep."

"With a dad like that- you better be good at Quidditch."

I laughed. "Are you any good?"

"I reckon I am." He said, looking around, "We'll see."

A little while later, Cassidy called for all of the prefects to collect the first years and head over to the common rooms for bed. A tall girl with black hair and a boy with striking blue eyes led the first year Slytherins towards the dungeons. I walked with Scorpius and Ryan and another boy they had met on the train, who I didn't recognize- his name was Keith Owen. They led us through a large tapestry with snakes all over it, after giving a password (Pure-blood).

"Girls are this way," the tall girl, pointing to her right, "And the boys are this way." She said, pointing to her left. "Your trunks and belongings have already been brought up. Breakfast begins at 6am and classes start at 9."

"Wait for me in the morning so we can all go to breakfast together." I said to Ryan, as I climbed the stairs to the girls dormitory.

"Sure Al, see you."

I walked up to the room with cozy four-poster bed and jumped onto it, falling into a deep sleep.

Quidditch tryouts were the following week. Luckily, first years were allowed to try out.

Ryan, Scorpius, Keith and I all headed down to the Quidditch pitch with our brooms and robes. I had a Nimbus 2002, my dad's old broom from his prime.

"Hi guys!" Gabe Madden said, once we were all gathered around him. He was the captain of the team.

A few people mumbled back.

"First of all- just because you made the team last year, doesn't guarantee you a spot this year. Is that clear?" A few people nodded. "Second, if you aren't a Slytherin, I'd suggest you leave. Now."

A small Hufflepuff boy walked away, blushing furiously.

"The way tryouts are going to work is as follows: You'll get in groups to do a few laps around the field, just to see if you can fly. Next, I'll put you in teams to see how you do. Then we'll go from there."

We all mounted our broomsticks and started flying around the pitch. This was a good call on Gabe's part, seeing as half of the students couldn't fly to save their lives.

The wind whipped my hair around and my broomstick reacted to the slightest touch. The Black Lake shimmered as the sun set. Stars were slightly visible in the almost-dark sky and the moon was just rising behind the farthest tree of the Forbidden Forest.

Gabe called us down and dismissed the others who completely failed.

He put us in two teams depending on our desired position and we set off. I took my place in front of the three large hoops and he released the balls.

The list of who had made the team was posted the day after. And guess what? All four of us had made the team.


	2. Chapter 2

~Chapter 2~

Finally.

I had just boarded the Hogwarts Express and was on my way back to Hogwarts for my 6th year with my three best friends. This was going to be an amazing year.

"Bloody hell." Said Scorpius Malfoy as he slid the door of our compartment open, collapsing onto the seat next to me, running a hand through his messy blonde hair. "I was just trying to get back from the loo."

"Stupid first years." Keith Owen grumbled, coming in from behind Scorpius.

"That bad, eh?" Ryan Parker, my cousin, asked, laughing.

"Has the trolley been by yet?" Scorpius asked, sticking his head out into the narrow walkway.

"Nope."

"I need my Cauldron Cakes!" He groaned.

Just that second, the elderly lady appeared before our section. "Anything off the trolley, dears?"

"Yes." Scorpius said loudly, causing the old witch to jump in surprise.

He rooted around in his pockets for a few sickles as I examined the cart. Droobles looked good. But so did the Chocolate Frogs. And the Fizzing Whizbees. ARGH. So many choices!

"Alright there, Al?" Ryan asked me, looking concerned.

"What?"

"You looked constipated."

"Ah. Well. I'm trying to pick what to get."

He laughed. "Good luck with that."

I stuck my tongue out at him and turned toward the old lady. "I'll take some of the Chocolate Frogs please."

"2 sickles."

I pulled out two of the silver coins and handed them to her as I pulled a few frogs off of the cart and into my hands.

I opened the first one and flipped the card over.

"Larrus Cassidy." I read aloud, "Bugger. Not him again."

"OW!" Came Keith's voice. "SHIT!"

"Oi. Shut up you prick." I replied, elbowing him. "I'd rather not get detention before we're even at Hogwarts."

"Sorry." He said sheepishly, rubbing his side. "I was just checking to see if we're there yet."

"Are we?"

"Almost."

We all searched around for our robes for a few minutes before finding them. I stood up and pulled off my jumper.

"Blimey." Keith said quietly, looking me up and down.

"Have some self respect!" Ryan said loudly, jumping up and covering his eyes.

I flipped him my middle finger.

"Classy." Scorpius said, through a mouthful of Cauldron Cake.

"You know it." I grinned back.

We all put on our robes after they got over the initial shock that I was, indeed, female.

We pulled up to Hogsmeade station a few minutes later. It was pouring out. All four of us ran to catch a carriage before getting completely soaked in the violent rainstorm. The carriages arrived in front of the castle in moments and all of the students filed out into the Great Hall.

As I was headed toward the Slytherin table, someone tripped me and I fell forward into Scorpius. "Bugger." I said loudly, turning around, "Fuck, Ryan. Do you have to be such a bloody prick?"

But it wasn't Ryan behind me.

I gulped.

"Miss Southwick?" Came the very annoyed voice of Professor McGonagall. "Are you trying to set a record for the number of detentions received before the term starts?"

I stood there, frozen, looking down.

"Miss Southwick?"

"Erm… Sorry ma'am. Won't happen again."

"5 points from Slytherin." She said, "If I hear language like that again, I will not hesitate to give you a detention."

I continued looking at the ground.

"Do you understand me?"

I looked up. "Yes ma'am."

As soon as she turned around to head back to the table at the front of the hall, I sighed.

Scorpius just stared.

"What are you looking at?" I growled.

"What?"

"Ugh. Nothing. I _swear_ that was Ryan though…"

"It was." Said a voice to my right.

"You asshole!"

He grinned. "Sorry cuz, I didn't know you'd get in trouble with McGonagall. Again."

I ran my fingers through my hair. If I wasn't so damn hungry, I'd just go up to my dormitory and go to sleep. Stupid Ryan.

Scorpius mouthed _'Sorry'_ to me from across the table and Keith was trying to keep his obnoxiously loud laughter quiet.

I pulled my wand out of my robes and sent a simple Stinging Jinx to my left where Ryan was sitting. He reacted better than I expected.

"BLOODY HE…." He screamed, jumping up, causing the entire Great Hall to look in his direction.

I grinned.

"Now that we are under control, " Cassidy said, once Ryan sat down, "I have a few quick announcements for you. First of all, we have a change in staffing. I am proud to introduce to you, Professor Scott Orcutt- who will be taking up Defense Against the Dark Arts. Second, Hogwarts will be hosting a ball-"

Everyone started murmuring.

"A ball," he continued, "For the 4th years and older. Third, Mr Filtch would like me to remind you that any Zonko or Weasley products are banned. You can find the complete list of these banned items on his office door next door to the Trophy Room. Finally, I would also like to remind you that the Forbidden Forest is, of course, forbidden."

He was totally looking at me, Ryan and Scorpius there. You see, we had a knack for getting in trouble. Last year, we had thrown a party in the Forest after exams. All three of us got detention for three weeks. Every night. Keith was the good one. He had been made a Prefect.

I think Cassidy just did that in hope that he might rub off on us. Fat chance of that ever happening.

And about the banned products- my mum gave me a bag with an Undetectable-Extension Charm on it, enabling me to put whatever I wanted in it. Including all of the banned products.

We all ate fast and then made a mad dash for the common room to go to sleep. The tapestry was freshly cleaned and the password was something that I would remember, for once. It was 'Quidditch.'

"Good morning. My name is Professor Orcutt and I will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for this year. You all have your textbook- _Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection _by Quentin Trimble?"

A few people mumbled 'yes'.

"You will respond 'Yes sir' from now on, is that clear?"

"Yes sir." The class chorused back.

I looked at him more closely. He wasn't tall, only about 5'10" and looked very clean-shaven, almost as if he could work for the Ministry of Magic. Hopefully he would be a good teacher.

"Now if you would all take out your books and begin reading Chapter 1: The Unseen, pages 14 and 15."

I groaned, along with a few other students, but complied.

_Chapter 1: The Unseen_

_Since He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's demise in 2007, the wizarding world has changed greatly. People are no longer in fear of Him and His followers, but are they too relaxed? Reporter Will Haggarty of the Daily Prophet, thinks they are. "I believe there are too many people not worried enough about the possibility of the Death Eaters coming back. Not all of them are put away and there is still the risk of returning," says Haggarty, 23. "How many of our next-door neighbours are Death Eaters in hiding?" Death Eaters were dark wizards who followed You-Know-Who in his prime and are assumed to be dead, in jail, or turned to the good side…_

I closed my book. My mum is an Auror and had told me all of this a few years ago.

"Are there any questions?" he asked, once everyone had closed their books.

Cozette Frey, Ryan's crush, raised her hand. "Sir?"

"Yes? Miss…?"

"Frey, sir."

Did I mention she was a HUGE ass kisser? Well she is.

"Do you believe that the Death Eaters are gone?" she asked.

"Yes. I do. You-Know-Who was destroyed and they have no leader anymore. There has been no sign of them in 20 years. Anyone who thinks otherwise, is incorrect."

I snorted.

"Do you find this topic funny?" he said, walking over to me and standing in front of the desk I was sharing with Keith. "Miss…?"

I guess I was louder than I thought. Whoops.

"Erm… Southwick."

"Miss Southwick- do you have anything to say?"

I looked at Ryan, who was in front of me. He shook his head as if to say, _don't say a bloody word_. I tended to get very outspoken and got detention for speaking my mind too often.

"Yeah. Actually I do."

He looked surprised.

"The Death Eaters are the sort to hide and lie when their loyalty to the Ministry is questioned. And who's to say that they NEED a leader like Voldemort?" I paused. "The Lestrange family was very close to him; maybe they are the ones who will carry on with his work. And what about after he supposedly 'died' after his first run in with Harry Potter? He came back 4 years later. Maybe he really isn't dead after all. Death Eaters don't just 'disappear'. They're out there-"

Orcutt cut me off. "Detention! That. Is. A. Lie. Many Ministry officials have investigated his death and followers and believe they are not coming back. They disbanded 20 years ago when their leader died."

"What if his followers _are_ still out there though? Shouldn't the Ministry still be ready?" Ryan said, causing Orcutt to whip around and glare at him.

"And you are?"

"Ryan Parker, sir."

"Detention for you as well."

I looked at Ryan and bit my lip.

He stopped talking.

"Is there anyone else who would like a detention today?" Orcutt said, glancing around the room furiously.

Everyone was silent.

"Then you are dismissed. Southwick? Parker? Please see Mr Filtch tonight at 7 o'clock for your detentions."

The class filed out through the door quietly.

"He is _such_ an ASSHOLE!" I exclaimed as soon as we were out of hearing distance. "I was only giving him my opinion!"

"You _were_ acting a bit…" Keith started.

"That doesn't give him the right to give me a bloody detention!"

Ryan nodded in agreement. "He was bang out of order, Al. Ugh. That reminds me. I still have to do McGonagall's homework…"

"Shit. Me too." Keith added, rifling through his bag.

"We'll see you two later." Ryan said hurriedly, rushing off in the direction of the library, with Keith at his heels, leaving Scorpius and me in the middle of the corridor.

We walked toward the Great Hall in silence, until Scorpius opened his mouth.

"Do you really believe that about the Death Eaters?" He asked softly.

"Seeing as I got detention for it- yeah." I replied.

"My grandfather is Lucius Malfoy." He said after a few seconds. "I don't usually tell people this because of the shame he has brought to the family name. My father has been working incredibly hard to keep it clean since You-Know-Who died."

We had stopped walking. I took his hand in mine and squeezed his fingers gently. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head. "Not now."

"Oka—"

He cut me off, pulling me into a tight hug. I wrapped my arms around him and just stood there, motionless.

I was an awkward person- not good with emotional things. That was exactly why none of my close friends were female. My idea of an emotional situation was winning (or losing) a Quidditch match.

Scorpius wasn't crying though, which comforted me.

I didn't really understand why my parents disliked Ryan and I hanging out with him all the time.

But now I did. They were holding a grudge against his family. Not a living, breathing, person- but a _name_.

Later that day in potions, I sat behind Scorpius, who remained silent.

Professor Hagen waltzed into class, 15 minutes late.

"Quiet down, quiet down." He yelled over the dull murmur of our conversations. "Today you'll be getting partners. There will be a fair amount of partner work this year, so they'll be very valuable.

Ugh. This was advanced potions and there were only about 10 of us, meaning it was very likely that I'd get paired with a complete prick.

"When I call you and your partner's names, find two seats and take your books out." He looked down at a sheet of paper. "Parker and Frey."

I saw Ryan get up to meet a girl who was about my height and had brown hair. And I knew, for a fact, that he had a humongous crush on her.

"Owen and Malfoy."

Hah. They _would_ be paired together.

"Wahl and Foster. Fletcher and Lynch. Southwick and O'Riley. I will give you the remaining time to familiarize yourselves with your partners."

A tall, blue-eyed boy walked up to me. "Hi. I'm Seamus." He smiled.

"Allie." I grinned back.

He was, I hate to say it, but _gorgeous_. He was Irish and had that kind of perfect hair that only certain people are blessed with. He had a crooked smile and perfectly straight teeth. He was much taller than me, maybe by about a foot. His nose looked as if it had been broken recently and his shoulders were incredibly broad. I'd be surprised if I could stay focused in his presence.

"Allie!" Scorpius hissed from the front of the room.

I turned, giving Seamus a sympathetic look. "What?"

"Could you help me with McGonagall's homework tonight?"

I rolled my eyes and grinned. "Sure."

Once I had turned back and put my attention back on Seamus, he looked at me funny. "So how long have you guys been dating?"

I laughed loudly and Hagen gave me the death glare. "We aren't dating." I said more quietly.

"How long have you two been shagging then?"

I looked him straight in the eyes. "We're just friends."

He raised his eyebrows at me. "Well… In that case—how would you like to come to Hogsmeade with me next weekend?"

Oh my gosh.

Oh my gosh. Was Seamus O'Riley really asking me out?

He had an amused look on his face now. "So?"

"Of course." I replied, smiling at him. "Why not?"

Scorpius caught my eye and gave me a look I couldn't quite comprehend.


	3. Chapter 3

~Chapter 3~

At approximately 7 o'clock, Ryan and I met Filtch in the Great Hall to serve our detentions.

"Finally got caught, eh?" he said to us happily.

I groaned inwardly. Filtch has had it out for us ever since we let a niffler into his office during our first year.

Neither of us said a word.

"You'll be cleaning up in the potions room tonight." He started, "Without magic. You may leave at 9."

Ryan sighed loudly as we made our way down to the dungeons.

"Now what's this I hear about you and Seamus O'Riley?" he asked me after Filtch had left.

I blushed. "What about him?"

"You know what I mean."

"Ugh. Fine. Yes. He did ask me out."

"Scorpius was talking to me about him after potions earlier. He seemed kind of… Put out."

I smirked. Scorpius could have any girl he wanted.

"And he thinks Seamus is a prick."

"What do you think?"

He put on a serious face. "I agree with Scorpius. But I know you won't listen to me. Just be careful."

I grinned at him. He knew me so well. The smile was quickly wiped off my face as I saw a man running toward us, wand out, looking straight at me.

Suddenly a stream of green light whizzed by me, missing me by a centimeter as Ryan pulled me down behind a corner. I wrapped my fingers around my wand handle and peeked out around the corner. Another ray of light flew by my right ear.

"Stay back you idiot!" Ryan yelled, pulling me against the wall. "Are you trying to get yourself killed!?"

"Just go and get McGonagall or Cassidy or someone!" I yelled, pushing him towards the stairs.

He looked at me and opened his mouth as if he was about to argue back but then decided against it. "Don't do anything stupid!" he bellowed as he headed up to the main floor.

"Come out, come out and play, little Alison…" A low, scratchy voice called to me tauntingly.

I froze. How did he know who I was? My heart was pounding in my ears and my head hurt. I peaked around the corner, hoping to get a good look at him.

He had sunken eyes and a hollow-looking face. His torn, dirty clothes hung on his skeletal figure that was covered in tattoos. His long, unwashed hair hung in his face, making his eyes even more shadowed.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" He yelled, taking a step forward.

"PROTEGO!" I yelled back on instinct, letting his curse bounce off of the shield I had just cast, causing me to be pushed backwards several feet. I stumbled, close to losing my balance.

"CRUCIO!" He hissed.

He caught me off guard. There was nothing I could do to move out of the way or block the incoming curse.

I felt my body shake as the worst pain I had ever encountered moved through my body. It hurt so badly that I could hardly see straight. I felt myself drift in and out of consciousness, until the pain stopped and everything went black.

"His name was Marcus Dolohov- escaped from Azkaban last month. How he got into the castle- we still don't know. Orcutt is investigating possibilities as we speak." It sounded like McGonagall.

"Very well." Came the voice of Cassidy to my right. "Do we know where he is now?"

"He disappeared. But we have contacted the Auror office and they are looking into it."

Cassidy was quiet for a moment and then spoke again. "Why is he after Miss Southwick?"

"Nathan and Dolohov had a violent past at Hogwarts."

They were talking about dad and him.

"I taught them both." McGonagall said quietly. "Couldn't keep them out of detention. One was always cursing the other. As soon as they graduated, Nathan became an Auror and Dolohov followed in his father's footsteps and became a Death Eater."

Cassidy remained silent.

"Some say that Dolohov had a crush on Isabelle, Miss Southwick's mother. They were always together. She was a lovely girl. She ignored what her classmates were saying about him and until their 6th year, they were fine. He started keeping to himself and ended up hurting Isabelle accidentally."

"I would like to speak with Miss Southwick alone, thank you Minerva."

"Good day headmaster." She replied, as I heard her footsteps get quieter and quieter.

"How much of that did you hear, Miss Southwick?" Cassidy said to me as I opened my eyes.

I smiled sheepishly. "All of it. Sorry professor."

"Curiosity is not a sin, but you should exercise caution- especially with Dolohov after you."

I nodded.

"Your friends have been very worried. Mr Owen stopped by earlier. Shall I send Mr Malfoy and Mr Parker in?"

"Sure. Thank you professor."

"Be careful." He said warningly as he left the infirmary.

Cor blimey. A Death Eater was after me.

"Allie!" Ryan yelled, running towards me. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I hit my head pretty hard though. And Madame Pomfrey won't let me out of bed."

"Speak of the devil…" Scorpius whispered as she bustled over to us with a scowl on her face. "Mr Malfoy, Mr Parker, please leave. She needs her rest. She'll be leaving tonight. I'm sure you'll be seeing her at the feast."

"I'll talk to you guys later, okay?"

"Alright, cool." Ryan said, hugging me.

"Yeah. See you soon." Scorpius said, wrapping his arms around me gently and then leading Ryan out of the Hospital Wing behind him.

For the next half hour, I tried to convince Madame Pomfrey to let me out earlier. She finally gave in. I'd be out by noon.

"Allie!" Scorpius's eyes lit up when he saw me walking towards him and Ryan in the Great Hall.

"She let you out?" Ryan asked me after I sat down at the Slytherin table between them.

"Yeah. I'm fine though. She made me promise to stay with one of you for the rest of the day in case I keel over or something."

"Cassidy talked to us earlier about keeping an eye on you."

I snorted into my pumpkin juice. "What!?"

"He thought you'd try and sneak out of the Hospital Wing or something…." He paused, "Again."

"He knows me so well." I grinned.

"But seriously-" Ryan said, "Be careful."

I felt someone tap my shoulder. "Hey Allie-"

I turned around. It was Seamus O'Riley.

"Oh. Hi." I said, putting down my goblet.

"Are you alright? I heard about what happened."

"Yeah. It's all fine now."

"Okay, good. See you in potions."

He leaned down and kissed me lightly on the cheek and walked away.

When I turned back around, Ryan and Scorpius were making retching noises and mimicking his motions on each other.

"Oi! Shut it!" I said, punching Ryan.

"Leave me alone, you lunatic!"

"It's just one date!" I exclaimed.

"That's all it takes for someone like him though…"

"What are you implying?"

"Jus-just be careful." He stuttered.

"I _can _take care of myself you know."

"Al-" Scorpius said, turning towards me, "We know. But you also have a Death Eater after you."

"Yeah. Thanks for pointing out the obvious, mate."

"Hi Scorpius." Came two obnoxious girl voices.

All three of us turned around. It was Natalie and Nina Russell. They were twins in Hufflepuff- AND part of the Scorpius Malfoy fan club.

"Erm.. hi?" he replied uncertainly, giving me and Ryan a terrified look.

"We were just wondering who you were taking to the Ball."

"I… uhhh…" He blushed, "I have no idea. Its too early yet."

"Oh." One of them said, "Well…"

"When you decide-" the other one cut in.

"-Let us know." One of them finished.

"Bye Scorpius." They said together, strutting off towards their house table.

Once they were out of hearing distance, I couldn't help it. I started laughing. Scorpius gave me a funny look and then joined in too. Ryan shook his head and burst out laughing, turning the heads of many of the students around us.

Even though I was laughing about it, I couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit jealous. Sure, Scorpius had dated _tons_ of girls and went through with them faster than socks. He'd date them for a week, then toss 'em. I'm pretty sure he had dated 75% of our class and the classes above and below us. I had never had a problem with it until now.

But… I still had my date with Seamus to look forward to!

"So Ry- Who are you going to ask?" I said to Ryan once we had calmed down a bit.

He blushed.

"How's Cozette?" Scorpius grinned.

"F-f-fine. We're just potions partners."

"You should ask her to Hogsmeade."

"She _is_ pretty." I added.

They looked at me like I was insane.

"What?" I cried, "I can think a girl is good-looking, can't I?"

Scorpius laughed and looked at Ryan. 'She is."

"Alright, alright. Fine. I like her."

'Do you want to shag her?" Scorpius asked.

Ryan blushed.

"Oi! That's my cousin you're talking about!" I said, elbowing him sharply.

"He can want to get off with her though, yeah?"

"How would you feel if it was me and Scorpius?" I asked Ryan.

"You guys wouldn't do that- would you?" Ryan asked frantically, looking at Scorpius and then looking at me.

Scorpius blushed, which was something he _never_ did, and looked at me. I blushed as well.

Scorpius Malfoy was a handsome guy. He was tall and strong, all the girls had crushes on him. He wasn't body-builder fit, just regular-guy fit. He was normal. He had messy white-blonde hair and his eyes were gorgeous. He was _very_ good looking.

As we walked to class, I couldn't help but think of Scorpius's blue eyes looking back at my own and about how nice it would be to shag him.


	4. Chapter 4

~Chapter 4~

That Saturday morning as I was eating some toast, I opened the Daily Prophet only to see my own face staring back at me.

_Death Eaters At Hogwarts?_

_Thursday evening, Allie Southwick and Ryan Parker, two sixth year Hogwarts students were found with escaped Death Eater, Marcus Dolohov. They were serving detention in the dungeons when Dolohov appeared suddenly and attacked Miss Southwick after she sent Mr Parker to find Headmaster Larrus Cassidy. Minutes later, Dolohov was gone and Miss Southwick was passed out. Cassidy states that Miss Southwick has not sustained any serious injuries and that everyone will be "on their toes" regarding this atrocity. Marcus Dolohov, son of Antonin Dolohov (one of the original Death Eaters during the time of the First Wizarding War), escaped from Azkaban in August and has not been spotted since. We don't know why he risked it all to go to Hogwarts, but the Auror Office has been contacted and the security at Hogwarts has been increased._

Above the article was a photograph of myself, Ryan, Scorpius and Keith. I was in a hospital bed and they were around me, looking very worried. Scorpius was holding my hand and Ryan was pacing.

"Can you believe this?" I exclaimed.

"What?" Ryan asked, peering over my shoulder.

He was silent for a few moments as he read it and then sat down angrily. "Who told them? Cassidy?"

I started laughing loudly as Scorpius came in and sat down next to me.

"What's she on about?" He asked Ryan as I continued to laugh.

"I cannot FUCKING wait to see the look on Orcutt's face when he reads this!" I said loudly, grinning.

Everyone looked over at me.

"Miss Southwick- What did I tell you about swearing?"

"Erm, sorry professor." I said, turning to see Professor McGonagall glaring at me.

"Five points from Slytherin."

She walked back to the staff table quickly, after stopping to reprimand another student.

"I'm _so_ bringing this to class on Monday." I said, folding it up and putting it in my bag.

Oh CRAP. Seamus. We had a date.

"What time is it?" I asked Ryan anxiously.

"Erm… Ten till eleven."

'Shite! I need to meet Seamus in 10 minutes!"

He laughed. "Good luck with that, cuz."

Scorpius gave me a strange look. "See you later, Al."

I sprinted out of the Great Hall and down to the Slytherin girls dormitory, not caring who I pushed past. I ripped off my robes and ran a brush through my messy blonde hair. I pulled on some Muggle jeans and a green v-neck. I put a little make up on and then threw on my black Vans, nearly falling over in the process. I dropped my bag on top of my bed and rushed back to the hall to meet Seamus.

Once he saw me, he smiled, "Hey Allie."

"Hi Seamus." I said breathlessly, hugging him (it only seemed right).

He hugged me back as I felt his hands slide down my sides and come to rest on my ass. "We should probably go soon." He whispered in my ear, his hot breath tickling my neck.

"Y-Yeah." I stuttered back, pulling away.

He took an arm and wrapped it possessively around my shoulders as we made our way down to the small village of Hogsmeade. He didn't talk much, but found any excuse to touch me. I saw Scorpius and Ryan once. Ryan was obviously flirting with Cozette Frey, and Scorpius was looking awkward as ever, completely oblivious to the fact that his little fan club was following him everywhere he went.

Suddenly, Seamus pulled me around a corner and started kissing me roughly, running his hands all over me. I pushed him backward, or at least tried to- he was too strong for me.

"Seamus, STOP!" I yelled, punching the air, missing his body spectacularly as he fumbled with my pants.

"You know you want it," He growled, "Don't fight it."

I continued struggling until I was able to grab hold of my wand, "STUPEFY!" I screamed, watching his body go limp against the brick wall behind us.

I started running back toward the castle. It had started to rain- but I didn't care. I didn't look back. I ran through the front door and down to my common room, sobbing. I collapsed on the couch, thankful that everyone was gone. I could feel myself shaking, tears were pouring out of my eyes and falling onto my shirt.

Then I felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around my body. I flinched and pulled away in instinct. "Hey, hey, hey. It's just me."

I turned around wordlessly to see who could possibly be bothering me. It was Scorpius. He saw the look in my eyes and hugged me tightly.

I cried for what seemed like hours, until I couldn't cry any longer. I sat up a little straighter and rested my head against Scorpius's soft chest. He stroked my hair softly and kissed the top of my head. "Are you okay?" He whispered. "What happened?"

_Was_ I okay? NO.

Had Seamus O'Riley just tried to _rape_ me? YES.

I wrapped my arms around him and nestled my head into the crook of his neck. "H-he tried to r-r-rape me."

I didn't dare look at the expression on his face. "Oh Allie- I'm so sorry."

I was silent as I played with the pockets on his sweatshirt.

"Are you going to tell Cassidy?" He asked after a little while.

"I don't know."

"I'll come with you if you want."

"That'd be nice." I said, now playing with the zip on his jacket.

"Just tell me when."

I sat in silence for a few moments, listening to his heart beat until I had made up my mind. "I need to go tell Cassidy." I said, standing up abruptly. "Can you come with me?"

He looked at me as if to say, _are you sure?_

"I just want to get it over with."

We walked to the headmaster's office quietly. I had been here loads of times, but never for something like this.

"Fizzing Whizbees." Scorpius said to the giant stone gargoyle guarding the stairs up to his tower.

The gargoyle nodded and jumped aside to let us pass.

"Come in." Came the voice of Cassidy, sounding grim.

I looked at Scorpius and he put my hand in his, leading me inside.

"Before you say anything," Cassidy began, "I would just like to let you know that Mr O'Riley was expelled for what he did. He came into my office earlier claiming that you stunned him out of the blue. But thanks to a very nifty potion that Professor Hagen brought to me, the true events came to light."

I exhaled loudly and Scorpius squeezed my hand.

"Thank you professor." I said, turning to leave.

"Miss Southwick- if you ever need anything, I will be in my office."

"Thank you sir."

The things that Seamus had tried to do to me were playing over and over in my head no matter how I tried to block them. I closed my eyes tightly and then sat up in bed. The room was dark and the clock to my right read 2:35 am. I got up quietly and pulled on some decent looking shorts and slippers. I made my way into the boys dormitory without knocking anything over and found Scorpius almost immediately.

I tapped him lightly on the shoulder, which was covered by many layers of blankets.

"Scorpius?" I whispered.

He blinked and responded groggily. "Allie?"

"Shh!" I shushed him, placing a finger against his lips.

He sat up abruptly and the blankets fell off of the upper part of his body, revealing his strong torso. Damn.

He must have noticed me checking him out, because he blushed and pulled the blankets up a little.

"I can't sleep." I finally managed to say.

Scorpius rolled his eyes and lifted the covers up to let me in with him. He was only wearing boxers.

I crawled in next to him and shivered- partly because it was bloody cold in the dungeons, and partly because he was half naked (and pretty sexy).

"Are you cold?" He murmured.

"Yeah." I breathed back.

He moved me closer to him and I turned myself so that he was spooning me. He was slightly surprised at first until he relaxed and pulled me so that I was flush against him. He wrapped an arm around my waist, grazing my hip slightly, causing what felt like an electric current move through my body. His bed smelled like the musky cologne he wore every day and the feeling of his body against mine was making me crazy.

"Hey Scorpius?" I whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"No problem."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight Allie." He said as he moved his thumb around in little circles on my hip.

I awoke to snippets of conversation regarding my position in his bed.

"Do you think they-"

"Shut it." Came the voice of Ryan.

"When did she come in last night?"

"How did we not hear them fucking?"

"Damn."

We were still spooning, but my shirt had ridden up quite far, so all of his dormmates were getting quite the view.

I rolled over on top of Scorpius.

"Oi!" He responded loudly, making me grin.

I jumped off of his bed and began to make my way out of the boys dorm.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa- where are you going?" Ryan asked me, grabbing my arm.

"I need to get dressed, we have Quidditch practice in, like, an hour!" I said, moving towards the door.

"No- we need to talk- just tell me that you and Scorpius didn't… you know…"

"We didn't." I assured him, although the thought of it wasn't too unpleasant.

"I'm going to get some food, you guys coming?" Ryan asked.

Everyone in the dorm left, leaving me and Scorpius alone.

I glanced at him, my eyes moving down his body.

"I should probably put on a shirt." He said, blushing.

He had been blushing around me a lot lately.

"Er… sure." I said unwillingly.

He got off of his bed and pulled on a Quidditch jersey, walking over to me. He put his hands on my waist and looked into my eyes. Before I could process what was going on, his lips were on mine. My arms made their way around his neck and I soon felt his tongue against my own. I swear fireworks were going off in the background and there was romantic music was playing.

Then I pulled away.

As soon as I saw the hurt in his eyes, I regretted it. Scorpius opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but I ran. I ran out of the boy's dormitory, ignoring all of the judgmental stares I was getting. I threw on my Quidditch robes and grabbed my broom, hoping I'd have some free time to fly around.

I soon as I had left the castle, I jumped onto my broom and began flying towards the pitch.

During practice, I avoided Scorpius as much as possible. He tried to make eye contact with me and I heard him call my name after practice. I just ignored him. I didn't want to ignore him. I didn't think he even liked me at all. He was just being nice. He was just trying to make me feel better.

All I knew was that I had been doing a lot of running lately.


	5. Chapter 5

~Chapter 5~

"Hey Allie!" Ryan yelled, seeing me sitting at the Slytherin table.

"What?"

He slid in next to me, picking up a slice of toast. "What's up with you and Scorpius?"

"Nothing."

"I haven't seen Seamus around either, did you scare him away?" He joked.

I bit my lip. Don't cry. Don't cry.

I burst into tears and suddenly Ryan's arms were around me.

"What did that bastard do?" He snarled, looking around.

"Cassidy took care of it." I sniffled.

"What!?" He exclaimed, "You got the _bloody_ headmaster involved and didn't think to tell me?"

I nodded. "He got expelled."

"What did he do to you?"

I wiped my tears with the sleeve of my robe. "He a-assaulted me."

"WHAT?"

"Shh…" I said, "I don't want the whole school knowing."

"Fine." He said more quietly, "What else happened?"

"H-he tried to rape me." I said softly.

Saying to someone besides Scorpius made it so much more real.

"I was in the common room with Scorpius and I told him about it and then I was having bad dreams and I went to you guys' room and…"

"You don't have to say anything else."

"But-"

"It's alright."

"Me and Scorpius aren't talking because he kissed me." I blurted out.

His jaw dropped.

"I kissed him back and then I left. He _can't_ like me. He was just trying to help me feel better, right?"

Ryan stayed silent. "Well…" He said slowly, "Do you want me to do anything for you?"

"Like what?"

"Like talk to him?"

"I don't know." I said dumbly.

"You guys can't go on not talking though." He said, "With the game against Hufflepuff this weekend and all."

Shoot. I had forgotten. It was Monday, and I had all of my classes with Scorpius.

"If you want to." I said reluctantly.

"Okay. Well, we have to get to potions soon."

"Oh yeah. Who am I going to be partnered with?"

He shrugged.

Scorpius wasn't in potions. Apparently he was 'sick'. He was probably just getting off with some 7th year in a broom cupboard.

"Today you will be concocting the Invigoration Draught, recipies for which will be found on page 27 in your books."

He came over to me. "Southwick- you're okay working on your own?"

I nodded.

"I'll put you with another group by next class." Hagen said, patting me on the shoulder.

I opened up my book. We had made this potion in our 5th year. Easy-peasy.

_1._ _Heat cauldron to 67°C_

_2._ _Stir in 12 Runespoor eggs, counter-clockwise_

_3._ _Let sit for exactly 19 seconds_

_4._ _Add 9 nettle leaves and a rat tail_

_5._ _Let sit for 5 minutes_

_6._ _Stir clockwise once_

_7._ _Lower heat to 61°C_

_8._ _Add 8 lacewing flies_

_9._ _Add 2 sophophorus beans_

_10._ _Add 19 porcupine quills_

_11._ _Stir clockwise once_

_12._ _Let sit for 2 minutes_

_13._ _Bottle_

The rest of class went by quickly. But I couldn't help but wonder about Scorpius.

It was easy to avoid Scorpius when he was never around. He had missed most of the classes we had together, or sat on the opposite side of the room. He looked like he hadn't gotten enough sleep and the bags under his eyes were only visible if you looked really hard. His hair was even messier than usual and his eyes were bloodshot. Ryan didn't tell me if he had actually talked to him yet, and I decided I'd rather not know. The week sped by, and before I knew it, it was time for the first Quidditch game of the season.

"This is it guys." Damon Volkov, the captain and one of the chasers, said.

"And girls." I added.

"And girls." He repeated. "If we win this game, we're at the top of the standings. Hufflepuff sucks this year; I've seen them practice. Their keeper broke two ribs on his left side during practice yesterday, so…" He said, looking at Fred Jensen and Scorpius, our other chasers, "Aim for his left side."

They nodded.

We play dirty.

"1, 2, 3, SLYTHERIN!"

We flew out onto the pitch, zooming around the goalposts and then circled up around the trunk full of balls and McLaggen, the flying teacher.

"_And here's the Slytherin team!" _Yelled Thomas Murphy, the announcer and a 5th year Ravenclaw. _"Captain Damon Volkov, Malfoy and Jensen, the chasers!"_

They waved.

"_Beaters Owen and Hardy!"_

Keith blew kisses, nearly falling off his broomstick, making the crowd laugh.

"_Keeper Allie Southwick- Very good looking, that one is."_

I blushed.

"_Andddd Ryan Parker, seeker!"_

The stadium erupted in cheers. It was said that he could rival the great Harry Potter.

"_Next- the Hufflepuff team! Captain Shaw, the keeper! Chasers Walters, Day, and Schwartz! Beaters Lewis and Jones! Anddd… Kloves, seeker!"_

Maybe I was imagining it, but it was much louder when our names were called. When it came to Quidditch, practically everyone preferred watching Slytherin or Gryffindor to Hufflepuff.

"_The balls are released- and they're off!_"

I made my way towards the goalposts, watching the Hufflepuff chasers closely.

"_Jensen in possession of the Quaffle, he's flying towards the Hufflepuff end of the pitch… And… He scores! 10-0, Slytherin. Hufflepuff in possession of the Quaffle now, Walters swerves, barely missing a bludger hit by Owen. And he's coming closer to the Slytherin goalposts, and…"_

I grasped the handle of my broom even tighter. Walters was coming straight at me.

"_And he shoots! Will Southwick save it?"_

I lunged, and caught the large redish-coloured ball with the tips of my fingers.

"_She saves it! Slytherin in possession of the Quaffle again, and it's Malfoy this time… He passes Schwartz… And Day… And he scores! 20-0!"_

My attention left the game and focused on Scorpius. He looked better today, and was doing extremely well. Hufflepuff didn't stand a chance. He scored 4 more times, and Damon scored 4 more as well, bringing us up to an even 100 points.

"_Schwartz is coming down the pitch with the Quaffle, along with Lewis and Jones, what could they be planning?"_

I took a deep breath.

"_Lewis hits a bludger at Southwick- which she dodges, and very gracefully, I might add. Jones hits another bludger at her! And…" _He paused, _"And- Schwartz shoots-"_

I reached for the Quaffle, just as a bludger narrowly missed my side.

"_Somehow Lewis has control of another bludger, which he hits at Southwick- they're teaming up!"_

The second bludger distracted me enough to make me completely miss the Quaffle.

"_100-10, Slytherin is still winning, but it takes Hufflepuff resorting to desperate measures just to get one past Southwick!"_

Scorpius was looking worriedly at me, not noticing a bludger coming straight at him.

"SCORPIUS!" I screamed, trying to warn him.

As soon as it came in contact with his head, he went limp and began falling. He wasn't very high up, but once he hit the ground, I felt tears begin to form in my eyes.

"RYAN!" I yelled to my cousin, who was hovering right above him, "GET THE BLOODY SNITCH!"

_"Hufflepuff playing a little dirtier than usual..."_

He nodded and began flying high above the goalposts, hoping to catch a glimpse of the golden snitch.

"_But is Malfoy okay? Slytheirn's keeper looks very emotional," _Thomas said, glancing at me, "_Wait- has Parker spotted the snitch?"_

I looked all around the field until I spotted Ryan. He was by the Hufflepuff goalposts, speeding down to the ground. The Hufflepuff seeker noticed him and was soon right beside him. They reached out their arms simultaneously, getting closer and closer to the ground every second, until Ryan's hand closed around the snitch. I felt myself exhale, not realizing that I was holding my breath.

"_SLYTHEIRN WINS! 250-10!"_

I flew straight to Scorpius, who Madame Pomfrey was making float a few feet above the ground in front of her.

I dismounted, tears running down my cheeks. I ran towards him, stopping in front of Madame Pomfrey. "You should get some rest." She said lightly, "You can see him later."

Ryan was soon beside me. "He'll be fine." He said, voice wavering slightly.

I changed in silence, not talking to anyone, not saying a thing. Everyone congratulated me, but

I ignored them.

My best friend was in the hospital wing. He _could_ die.

As soon as the feast was over, Ryan and I made our way to the infirmary to see Scorpius.

"He'll be fine." Ryan said again.

"I hope so." I said quietly.

Madame Pomfrey bustled over to where we were standing. "You can stay until 10. But he needs his rest."

We thanked her and found his bed. His eyes were closed and there was a bandage around his head.

I took his hand and squeezed it gently. "Hey Scorpius." I whispered.

His eyelids flickered and then his eyes opened. He smiled weakly. "Nice game."

I made a funny sound halfway between a laugh and a sob. "You too."

"We won." Ryan added, looking somber.

"By how much?"

"240. I saw their captain in tears after the game. Oh, wait, I have to go to the house party, I promised Cozette." He blushed.

"Go on, mate."

"Have fun." I grinned. "Don't get too drunk."

"Shut up." He replied, punching me lightly.

Once he left, Scorpius turned to face me. "So we're talking again?"

"I guess so." I sniffed, wiping fresh tears. "You scared me so badly."

"Do you know how much I missed you?"

I shook my head. "It was the worst week ever."

"Why did you leave?"

"When?"

I knew exactly when he was talking about.

"That day in common room after…" He trailed off.

"I don't know. I was scared."

"I'd never hurt you- you know that, right?"

I was silent. Was he lying? Every guy I was ever involved with had broken my heart.

"I love you."

Wait. What?

"What?" I exclaimed.

"I love you." He said again.

I looked at him. He was blushing. He was telling the truth.

Scorpius Malfoy loved me.


	6. Chapter 6

~Chapter 6~

I had no idea what to expect after what had happened last night. What would he say? What would Ryan say? Would he do anything about it at all? What would happen next?

"Scorpius is out!" Ryan said happily, turning slightly.

I set down my goblet and rotated just enough so that I could see him coming down the aisle between the Hufflepuff and Slytherin tables. "Hey Scorpius."

We both got up and hugged him. I totally blushed. He, however, did not. I don't know what I expected him to do- maybe declare his undying love for me and then snog me senseless? Or would he not bring it up and then remind me that we had to go to Defense Against the Dark Arts?

He groaned. "The first class I have back is Orcutt's- great."

Ryan sighed loudly as I grabbed my bag.

"You still have that article to show him, don't you?" Ryan asked, glancing at my bag.

Did Scorpius really mean it last night?

"Hey-"

I turned to face Ryan.

"Al- did you hear me?"

"What?"

"Do you have the article to read to Orcutt?"

'Oh- yeah. I do." I replied as I began to climb the stairs.

Did he forget? Was there something that affected memory in a potion Madame Pomfrey gave him?

I was falling. Shit. That's what I get for being such a spaz and not paying attention. "FUCCK!" I yelled.

Suddenly, I felt two strong arms catch me. I looked up to see Scorpius's blue eyes staring back at me, slightly surprised. Then I became much more aware of the fact that Scorpius's body was pressed up against my own. I was so close to him that I could feel his heart beating.

"T-thanks." I whispered.

"No problem." He replied just as quietly.

Maybe I was just imagining it, but there was a glimmer of something I recognized from last night. Did he remember anything at all?

"Hey Scorpius." I pull him into an abandoned charms classroom and ignored his protests.

"What about class? And Ryan?"

"I'm pretty sure we'll be fine. And Ryan doesn't care anyway."

"Why are we in here?"

I sat down on a desk. "What do you remember about last night?"

He blushed and looked away.

"Please," I said desperately, "Please tell me."

He said something under his breath that I couldn't quite hear.

I stood next to him and put his hand in mine.

"That whole 'love' thing." He said, almost inaudibly.

"W-we-were you telling the truth?" I stuttered.

He looked at me like I was insane. "Of course I was, you idiot."

What?

"I love you." He said softly, moving closer to me so that we were almost touching. He wrapped an arm around my waist.

"I-"

But I was cut off.

"Mr Malfoy! Miss Southwick! Shouldn't you two be in class?" Professor Flitwich said loudly, causing Scorpius and I to step apart. I bet I was blushing furiously by now.

"Yes sir." Scorpius said smoothly, leading me towards the door.

We got to class just as the bell rang. I was still flustered about what had just happened with Scorpius minutes before. I hadn't been imagining anything at all.

He took a seat next to me and smiled. "Now we have unfinished business to attend to."

I blushed.

"Good morning, class." Orcutt said, placing his bag on the desk in the front of the room.

A few people responded with a weak, "Good morning sir."

I raised my hand.

"Yes…" He said, sounding pissed off, "What now, Miss Southwick?"

"I was just wondering if you saw the article or heard about what happened to Ryan and I last week, sir." I added the 'sir' to spite him and put on a shit-eating grin.

He went red, "I-I'm not sure what you mean."

The class began talking loudly, mostly about how dense he was.

"Would you like me to read it, sir?" I said innocently, pulling the article from my bag.

Orcutt gave me a disgusted look and waved a hand. "Get on with it."

I cleared my throat and unfolded the article. "Thursday evening, Allie Southwick and Ryan Parker, two sixth year Hogwarts students were found with escaped Death Eater, Marcus Dolohov. They were serving detention in the dungeons when Dolohov appeared suddenly and attacked Miss Southwick after she sent Mr Parker to find Headmaster Larrus Cassidy. Minutes later, Dolohov was gone and Miss Southwick, knocked out. Cassidy states that Miss Southwick has not sustained any serious injuries and that everyone will be "on their toes" regarding this atrocity. Marcus Dolohov, son of Antonin Dolohov (one of the original Death Eaters during the time of the First Wizarding War), escaped from Azkaban in August and has not been spotted since. We don't know why he risked it all to go to Hogwarts, but the Auror Office has been contacted and the security at Hogwarts has been increased."

When I was finished, he was glaring at me.

"The Daily Prophet comes out with all sorts of rubbish these days." He said angrily.

"So Ryan and I made it all up?" I argued.

"Five points from Slytherin!" he said, "Any more back-talk and it will be a detention."

"That's completely unfair!" Scorpius exclaimed.

"Five more points from Slytherin! No, I have a class to teach, so if you disagree with anything else regarding the content I was approved to teach, I'd suggest you leave and see Professor Cassidy."

"Fine." I said, getting up, disregarding the quiet 'oohs' I was getting from around the classroom.

"Give this to him, as well." He said, shoving a piece of parchment into my hand nearly crushing the tip of his quill as he wrote furiously.

Ryan and Scorpius were looking at me like '_should we come too?'_ I just shook my head as I left the room. I could fight my own battles. They had nothing to do with it.

The journey to Cassidy's office took an abnormally long time.

"Little Allie Southwick, oh what have you done-" Peeves was singing loudly enough so that everyone on the 3rd floor could hear.

I ignored him the best that I could, even after he burst into the second verse, going on about how I would get expelled. When he started blowing raspberries in my ear, I placed a disillusionment charm on myself and disappeared. It made me blend into the surrounding corridors, making me invisible to everyone- including Peeves.

"Come in…" Came the deep voice of Cassidy, making me jump in shock. I reversed the charm and walked slowly into his office.

He was sitting in the huge chair behind a desk covered with quills and books. The walls to his left and right were covered with portraits of previous headmasters of Hogwarts. Most of them were sleeping, but I could see Albus Dumbledore's sparkling, blue eyes looking around the room. He saw me and nodded. I nervously smiled back.

"Erm… Orcutt told me to give you this."

"_Professor _Orcutt."

"Yeah. Professor Orcutt, then." I handed him the parchment.

He read it silently and then looked up at me. "You need to control your outbursts and your temper, Allie. Professor Or-"

"He's wrong though!"

"He may be wrong, but he is still a teacher, and you need to respect him."

I opened my mouth to interrupt, but he continued to talk.

"You need to show him some respect. He may not deserve it and you may not feel it, but you need to try." He said firmly.

"Okay, sir." I said reluctantly. "I'll give it a try."

I walked back to the Slytherin common room to see Scorpius and Ryan looking at me.

"That was brilliant." Ryan said.

"We left just after you did- he was absolutely _fuming_." Scorpius added, smiling.

I sat down on the couch next to Scorpius and leaned into him, putting my head on his shoulder. Ryan looked surprised, but didn't say anything. As soon as Cozette Frey walked in, however, he blushed a deep crimson.

"Go on, mate." Scorpius said, nodding his head in the direction of Cozette, who was now giggling with a few other girls. "I think she has a free period next."

"Fine." He blushed even redder, if that was possible, and stumbled over to her, grinning like an idiot.

Once he was gone, Scorpius turned towards me. "I have something to show you."

"Yeah?"

He took my hand in his and led me out of the common room and up the stairs. "Close your eyes."

I put my hands up over my eyes so that my vision was obscured. "Okay."

He let go of my hand briefly and I heard something that sounded like the shifting of bricks, then he grasped my hand again.

"You can open your eyes now." He whispered, his hot breath tickling my neck.

I opened my eyes and we were in a room. It had a high ceiling, but the ground was covered in grass and there were trees all around us. I heard birds twittering quietly. There were rays of what felt like sunlight, projecting onto the grass and all around us. There was a small pond with a waterfall pouring into it, both of which were sparkling.

"It's beautiful." I said quietly. "What is this place?"

"I don't know, I found it when I was wandering the castle."

"It's brilliant." I said, lying down on the soft grass.

Scorpius knelt down next to me and leaned down so that our lips were centimeters apart. Just as he was about to kiss me, I heard giggling in the corner of the massive room.

We both turned to look for who could possibly be bothering us. She was a ghost. She was hovering over the pond, grinning broadly. She was tall, or at least taller than me. She had short brown hair and wasn't wearing robes.

"Hiya. Sorry for intruding." She laughed.

"Erm, who are you?" Scorpius asked uncertainly.

"Rachel Carlson." She said, swooping closer to us. "Want to know how I died?" She whispered.

"Uh, sure?"

"It was during the First Wizarding War. I was 16. I was wandering the castle when suddenly He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's snake…" She trailed off, "ATTACKED me."

I jumped, as did Scorpius.

"Want to see it? The bite…" She asked quietly, reaching for the hem of her jumper.

"It's alright, we'll just be going now."

"So soon?"

"It's getting close to dinner." Scorpius lied smoothly.

"But... But no one has ever come to visit me before…"

"Bye!"

We ran out into the hallway when Scorpius suddenly grabbed my hand and stopped me.

"What-"

He interrupted me by placing his lips on mine, pulling me against his body. He put his hands on my waist and I found my arms wrapped around his neck. He was kissing me so softly and deeply that it felt like the entire world had stopped. I ground my hips into his and he moaned quietly into my mouth, heightening the intensity considerably. I felt his hands slip under the edge of my shirt when I heard someone clear their throat.

"What part of this behaviour do you think is appropriate?"

We both froze. It was McGonagall.

"Sorry ma'am." I said, feeling my cheeks redden.

"I will give you only a warning this time- the feast will be starting soon."

"Yes ma'am."

I blushed as Scorpius grinned coyly at me.


End file.
